Other Cultures.

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English Course work

Ricky Davies 10D

Other Cultures

From looking closely at the two poems ‘Nothings Changed’ by Tatumkhulu Afrika and ‘Charlotte O’Neil’s song’ by Fiona Farrell, it can be seen that both poems protest about the inequality of rich and poor.  However it could also be suggested that ‘Nothings Changed’ is also protesting about racism.  ‘Nothings Changed’ tell us of the poverty and struggle of the black people versus the distinguished lives of the whites. ‘Charlotte O’Neil’s song’ shows a young girl servant who suffers inequality at the hands of her rich employer.  This poem, unlike ‘Nothings Changed’, does offer some hope for the future as the girl is to move to a better life.

The first poem I am going to look at is ‘Nothings Changed’ by Tatumkhulu Afrika.  The poem shows a society where black and white and thus rich and poor are divided.  In South Africa at the time this poem was written there were laws called the Apartheid system which kept black and whites apart.  The area of South Africa where the poem is set is Cape Town where the blacks live in poverty, while the whites live a sophisticated life.  The poet in the poem is protesting about the inequality that existed within this situation.  The poem starts by showing the poor conditions that the black citizens are expected to live in at, ‘District Six’.  The poet gives the impressions that this area is run down and is a slum the poet shows this by saying ‘seeding grasses’ and ‘cans trodden on’.  The poet also says ‘no board says it is’ this means that the whites haven’t said where the black people should live but everyone knows that is where they are supposed to live.  The poet shows is anger of the inequality by saying that every part of his body resents the inequality within his own country.

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In the third verse of the poem we see the white’s area of Cape Town where there is complete contrast to the deprived black residential area of the town.  The are is ‘brash with glass’ with bright lights as a simile tells that are, ‘flaring like a flag’.  The whole area the poet tells us has ‘Port Jackson trees’ and ‘Haute Cuisine’ and makes the black area look like a slum.  There is a ‘guard’ to keep unwanted black people out.  Again the poet says that, ‘no sign says it is’ a white area but due ...

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